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Linksys BEFSR41 RouterLinksys EtherFast Cable/DSL Router with 4-Port 10/100 Switch (Model BEFSR41)
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Broadband Internet: Everyone wants it, and they want it to be as fast and cheap as possible. Until recently, the only type of high-speed Internet Service available to most of us was a business level service (such as as leased T1 lines). This type of service is far too expensive for home users. Cable Modem or xDSL service has not been an option for many of us until recently. Because of a lack of service coverage, or outrageous prices, many of use have been stuck with standard analog modem service for some time. This has now changed! Over the past year, Cable and xDSL services have exploded onto the market! Even though both services have been around for several years now, the price has gone down considerably, and the availability has increased exponentially. Major service providers are now advertising heavily, and offering incredible service packages that bring broadband Internet service into the reach of the average home user. One of the biggest problems with these services, was the need to buy or lease expensive Cable or xDSL modems. These modems have an average cost of $200. Now, many providers such as Southwestern Bell are offering those modems for 'free' with as little as a one-year service contract. Both services (Cable, xDSL) are FAST (for the most part ;-) compared to the standard dial-up connections that everyone is accustomed to, and a heck of a lot cheaper than those leased T1 lines. The overwhelming majority of consumers should now have the option of getting either Cable Internet Service or xDSL (maybe even both). There has also been an explosion in the average number of PC's per household. People have been upgrading their computers, and, doing such things as giving their children or spouses the older systems. What if you have two or more computers in your home and want to share your single Internet connection? If you have Cable modem, or xDSL service and you want to share your Internet connection within your home, this Router is for you! If you have ever thought about setting up a home network (LAN) to share your Cable or xDSL connection with more than one computer the Linksys Router was made specifically for this purpose. It is a Hardware Based DHCP Server that allows you to share your Internet connection with up to 253 client PC's. You can share out your single Internet connection to that many systems. It also acts as a hardware Firewall, providing the best security and protection from Internet Hackers and Peeping Tom's (lurkers). And, to top it all off, it's the ONLY Router in it's class which uses a 4-Port 10/100 Switch, instead of a standard non-switching HUB! (in English: It's both fast and compatible). It also has a dedicated uplink port so you can easily add more switches or hubs.* This will allow you to expand your network beyond the built-in 4 port limit. Obviously, this Router provides for enough potential connections to satisfy the most insatiable tech-addict or small business! If you are considering this Router for a small business, it is capable of handling a fat (business level) 1.5MBps pipe! ( A business level T1 is only capable of 1.5Mbps. This router can handle a connection 8 TIMES faster than that). Note: On the Router's retail box it says "capable of handling up to a 1.5Mbps WAN connection" That is a type-o! (and not one in their favor at all - what a boo-boo). It should read "capable of handling up to a 1.5MBps WAN connection" (or it could say 10Mbps). Basically, because of that type-O, they are wrongly advertising the Router as 1/8 as fast as it really is on the WAN port (potentially). (We hope no one gets fired over there at Linksys :) Also, just to make sure you know at this point: The Router supports either 10Mbps or 100Mbps at Full-Duplex on the LAN side. Note: if you use the uplink port it is shared with port#1 (you can only use one or the other). Also, you might need a crossover cable, depending on your configuration. For information on how to make a crossover cable (or what they are), check out these links: Make a crossover coupler for a standard cable Kan.org , buy a crossover cable locally or somewhere like CablesNMore, or make your own cable by putting on new ends - info here at the very nice site (and very nice guide) MakeItSimple. It's been about three months since Linksys announced their new EtherFast Cable/DSL Router. Their press release proclaims: -Listed product features-
anonymous - 2006-04-13 16:56
I have had this router for about 6 years now, and can say I have had no problems with it. It is usually on 24/7/365, unless a storm is coming through and then I unhook everything. when I moved into my new house, a lightening strike killed my cable modem (cable company had not grounded the line yet - kudos to comcast, they replaced the modem at no cost to me), but the router is still going strong. I highly recommend this router.


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National State Affairs Consultant Zina Cary, along with 20 advocates from three IMF support groups joined the Wisconsin Coalition for Cancer Treatment Access (WCCTA) and the bill's legislative champions, Senator Alberta Darling and Representative Pat Strachota in Madison on Wednesday showing the broad support for the Cancer Treatment Fairness Act (SB 300). "After nearly three years of working to advance legislation," Zina shares, "the hearing before the Senate Committee on Insurance and Housing was the first major breakthrough in the process to pass an oral drug parity bill in Wisconsin. And with 74 advocates supporting the bill in attendance and only three folks opposing, we made everyone aware of the need for SB 300."
Wisconsin Myeloma ACTION Team leader Mary Polancih recalls about the day, "As I stepped into the Wisconsin State Capitol rotunda I could feel the energy and hear the buzz of advocates from across Wisconsin gathered to attend the first committee hearing on (SB 300). When we crowded into the hearing room, we surprised the committee who had to open an overflow room. "
The coalition came out swinging with powerful testimony from IMF Myeloma ACTION Team leader Tom Chelius, who was the first patient to explain why this bill is so important to myeloma patients many of whom have both IV and oral drugs as part of their treatment plans. "The IMF has launched a research program called the Black Swan Research Initiative™," Tom testified, "Its purpose is specifically to find a cure for myeloma. It is my understanding that this cure will come from combinations of medications, and, ultimately, access to the entire range of these anti-cancer medications, oral or IV, is vital. A patient will likely be on a sub-optimal treatment plan without access to oral medication. "After the fact Tom shared, "I am NOT a public speaker at all, usually a lot of ummms and ahhhhs. Today went much smoother than normal. Even during the process, I thought to myself, "who is this guy talking??? But then I knew I was speaking for every myeloma patient in Wisconsin and I was drawing strength from every patient in the room and in our state."
Zina Cary followed lobbyists from the insurance industry and broke down their arguments point by point by explaining just why this bill is so critical to cancer patients in the twenty first century. One great example of this happened during the proceedings, when one of the committee members explained he is a cancer survivor, who a number of years ago, had endured a lengthy and painful cancer battle using traditional chemotherapy. He was very interested to hear that current treatments using oral drugs may be making the journey of others less harrowing.
After two hours of testimony for and against the bill, we will now wait for the committee to vote in the coming weeks. There are still many steps between today and the day Wisconsin can become the 28th state to pass this type of legislation and we will not stop until that day comes. "This day left me encouraged and strengthened," says Mary. "After listening to opposing testimony, I am better prepared to advocate more effectively for oral drug parity. Moreover, I have seen that we have the strength of numbers to move this bill forward. I'm ready for what comes next."
Click here to read Tom's testimony and click here for Zina's testimony. In addition, if you have not sent an email to your state senator, click here to show your support today.

subset: commoncrawl


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David Rivera, owner of Bella Sorrellas in Bayonne, has been in the food business so long he can remember when he couldn't look over the edge of the table.
His parents owned and operated at least three quality eateries in downtown Jersey City before downtown became trendy.
"That was from the 1960s to the 1990s," Rivera recalled.
Like his parents, Rivera looks for a wholesome family atmosphere for diners but maintains a level of chic that provides a comfortable place for a drink, drawing young as well as middle-aged patrons.
In some ways, the story of Bella Sorrellas is a little like the chicken-and-egg story. When Rivera purchased the place in 2009 intending to open a quality restaurant, family obligations forced him to open only the bar at first.
He had long eyed Just Sonny's well-established chef, Leonardo Compi, to provide the food, and eventually, when family issues were solved, he managed to get him.
Chef Compi worked at Sonny's for 25 years, and provides much of the complicated food combinations that make dining at Bella Sorrellas a treat. Compi's genius is in bringing flair to classic dishes, making extraordinary what would be ordinary in other hands, something rich with complex textures and tastes that delight and surprise unsuspecting diners.
Coming back to the family business
Although Rivera said he absolutely loves what he does, he was a typical teen, vowing not to get into the family business. He went to school and eventually found himself the dispatcher at Christ Hospital, when he started to remember just how good it felt back in the restaurant business and he decided he wanted to live that life again.
His father, when he heard about Rivera's plans to buy his own place, told him not to do it, and when he couldn't talk Rivera out of it, gave him words of advice.
"Be prepared to work hard and put in long hours," Rivera recalled.
Having worked in his family's restaurants since he was knee high to a grasshopper, Rivera already knew this.
But he was in love again with a way of life he apparently had been raised to live, and once he got back in the business, he knew it was the right thing.
Drawing from all over
A 7 on a Tuesday night, Bella Sorrellas had a number of dinner patrons, some from Bayonne and Jersey City and others from down state who had heard about the place via word of mouth.
Routinely, the place brings out some local political people such as former Mayor Jerramiah Healy, former Jersey City Councilman Peter Brennan, and state Senator Sandra Cunningham.
Local officials including Bayonne Councilman Ray Greaves stop in for a sip or a bite from time to time, Rivera said.
But Bella Sorrellas is much more than a political hangout; it is the kind of place you bring your mom on Mother's Day, your date, or your high school friend for his birthday. With a comfortable bar on one side—and a window looking onto the dining area—the place is good for a quick lunch, an after-work drink, or a full dining experience.
The dining area has 15 tables with four seats each, which allows for high volume, but it does not feel overcrowded. A movable arrangement accommodates larger groups or even parties.
The service is remarkable. The staff is polite but never intrusive, arriving at your table when you need them, but never overbearing.
Back to basics
There's a special dinner menu, which, Rivera said, offers dishes that could eventually find their way to the regular menu. We decided to stick to the regular menu to get an idea of what patrons can expect. We ordered two appetizers, eggplant rollatini and mussels in red sauce.
The mussels, piled high on an egg-shaped plate, were sweet, plump and savory, with just enough garlic to give them a snap. The sauce, not traditional at all, has a taste that lingers—not too sweet or too hot, and not overly laden with garlic.
The house salad was almost too pretty to eat, basic fair with oil and vinegar that offset the more complex flavoring of the other dishes.
The portions for all the dishes were generous.
Contrary to its name, the rollatini came flat, not rolled, and seemed more like a slice of lasagna. The flavors were well-combined flavors, so that no one spice stood out. The eggplant had a great texture, not too greasy and not overwhelmed with sauce.
For entrees, we decided on Shrimp Scampi and Chicken Cacciatore. The shrimp came with a house salad and a remarkably tasty rice Milanese, seasoned with prosciutto and parsley. The butterfly shrimp had a buttery, lemon sauce. The chicken was served with mushrooms and onions in a marinara sauce. The white-meat chicken was very tender and well seasoned.
For desert, we went traditional, trying the Italian ricotta cheese cake, partly because the menu said it was made on the premises. This differs from what most people think of as cheesecake because it is made with ricotta, not cream cheese, so it has a rougher texture and a more interesting flavor.
Good food priced reasonably
The dinner menu includes a variety of appetizers, salads, pastas, chicken, veal, steaks, and seafood.
The prices are extremely reasonable, especially considering the high quality of the food.
Appetizers range from $5.95 for pasta fagioli to $10.95 for a shrimp cocktail.
Besides the complimentary salad that comes with all the family-style entrees, the menu also has salads from $5.95 for Tomatoes Ala Napetano to $14.95 for cold Italian antipasto for two.
Similarly, pasta dishes range from $10.95 for pasta marinara to $14.95 for linguini with clams.
Chicken dishes range from $16.95 for chicken francese to $18.95 for chicken rollatini.
Veal dishes, and there are a host of them, run about $17.75, while steak dishes tend to be the priciest starting at just under $24.
Seafood dishes run from $17.95 to $25.95.
The lunch menu—served Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m—offers a smaller choice, but also less costly selection for appetizers, salads, cold and hot sandwiches, pizza, and buffalo wings.
The restaurant is open for dinner until 9:45 Tuesday through Thursday; 10:45 on Friday and Saturday and from 1 to 9 p.m. on Sunday.
The full-service bar is open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Tuesday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 3 a.m. Friday; 3 p.m. to 3 a.m. on Saturday; and 1 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Sunday.
Happy hour is from 4-7 p.m. Tuesday to Friday.
Bella Sorrellas is at 1020 Broadway at the corner of 50th Street. For reservations or more information call (201) 455-8844 or email firstname.lastname@example.com.
Al Sullivan may be reached at email@example.com.


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Despite the overwhelming heat on Saturday, thousands of volunteers across Los Angeles came together at 9 a.m. to scour city beaches, rivers, and urban neighborhoods as part of the 23rd annual Heal the Bay Coastal Cleanup Day.
Almost 10,000 people from Compton to Malibu picked up an astonishing 38,598 pounds of waste during the three-hour event.
Cigarette butts, Styrofoam, and plastic bottles were among the most common items collected across the 56 miles of terrain.
Rare and unusual objects were also found during the cleanup.
In Santa Monica, a headless dead rooster and a headshot of an aspiring actor were uncovered in the ocean by volunteer divers.
In other cleanup sites, a dead cat in a bag, a rifle barrel, and a 25-gallon oil container were found.
This year, Heal the Bay broadened its horizons by creating sites not only throughout the state, but throughout the country as well.
Scuba dive teams participated in the Santa Monica, Malibu, and Redondo Beach sites. Kayakers were able to help at the Marina del Rey site. Mountain bikers, a new addition to the program, hauled away detritus at the Malibu Creek.
Additionally, the Santa Monica beach sites were packed with students from different grade levels eager to clean the beaches. Families and teachers came out to improve their communities as well.
Maria Avalos, currently a teacher at the UCLA Lab School and a first-time volunteer for the Coastal Cleanup Day, was among the many adults who were on a mission to improve local beaches.
"It's the second year UCLA is doing it, but it is my first time this year," Avalos said. "I've been talking to my kids a lot about this event and talking to them about the environment and I finally thought to myself, 'You know what? Instead of just talking, I should just walk the walk. It irks me to see trash cans everywhere, yet people can't walk a few feet to throw the trash away where it belongs."
However, the majority of ocean pollution comes from the city storm drains that carry urban runoff and dumps them into the Santa Monica and San Pedro bays. Thus, it is essential to not only help at the beaches, but also in the inland, according to a volunteer helping out near tower 1550 in Santa Monica.
Another new Heal the Bay site in Santa Monica was at the end of Bay Street, also known as "Inkwell" for its history as a popular beach hangout for African-Americans throughout the 1920s and 1960s. Members from the Black Surfing Association and L.A. Black Underwater Explorers discussed the history of the site and their mission.
Heal the Bay's Coastal Cleanup Day has resulted in accumulating 1.6 million pounds of trash since it started back in 1990.


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The web and its related disciplines have grown organically. I think it's safe to say the web is not the domain of just the geeks anymore—we all live here. And those of us who work here should have sophisticated, native tools to do our jobs.
A little over two years ago, I started reflecting on the web as a design medium. Coming from a print design background, most of what I knew about design was still applicable; but the things that weren't made a huge difference. What came of this was a presentation I gave at a few conferences (the abbreviated 10-minute version of which you can see on Vimeo). The discussions that followed prompted me to look closely at how the creative process—and the tools we use—affect designing for the screen.
The framework for what a page is has changed considerably even in the past few years, though our applications for designing those frameworks are still stuck in the web of yore, and largely dictated by their use for print design. This article focuses on some of the tools we currently have at our disposal, mostly either freely available or from Adobe.
What's this "design" you speak of?
Design is a multifaceted problem. How something behaves is interdependent on how it looks, sounds, reads, moves, and responds. We can't separate these from the end result, but we can divide and conquer them during the creative process. Web design is not merely building. It's not just designing. It's not only the rest of the myriad disciplines and titles we all align ourselves with, but the culmination of all these things.
One process, or "how I work"
For over a decade, I've been designing websites. And I've followed nearly the same process for every one of them: once it's time for visual design to happen, I typically start out in rough form (sketches, grey boxes), then move on to higher fidelity comps in Photoshop. I make these Photoshop comps look as real as possible, and continue to revise them for clients until they sign off on the designs. I make exceptions as needed depending on the problem at hand, but I rarely allow much visual design and layout to happen during coding. This includes painstakingly changing type styles and colors in Photoshop when revisions are needed. I'm experienced enough with making websites that I know what I can push off until coding happens, and how certain things will act when in use. I like spending my time this way because it helps me focus on the story I'm trying to tell with my design.
Our current toolbox
Every option out there has its tradeoffs. These are not intended to be knocks against the goals of these applications; they're all powerful in their own right. The purpose of this brief audit is to highlight the gaps in the creative process.
Photoshop has high-fidelity design capabilities and image editing, but the type rendering isn't true-to-browser and it's lacking in layout capabilities. Each new release feels more bloated and directionless than the last.
Illustrator is great for drawing and working with vectors, but the type and image rendering aren't true-to-browser and it's ill suited for anything but the simplest layouts.
InDesign is capable of high-fidelity layouts and has advanced type styling features with stylesheets, but it's primarily a print application and lacks the language and feel for screen-based designs.
Fireworks showed promise back in the hands of Macromedia, but it has taken a backseat under Adobe. It's primarily a screen-based design app and is great for prototyping and image optimization, but it lacks true-to-browser type rendering, is flakey performance-wise, and feels neglected among the flagship Adobe products.
Dreamweaver is a hybrid WYSIWYG text editor with true-to-browser type and layout rendering, but it lacks flexible visual design capabilities, image editing, and typographic control.
Browsers are obviously the baseline for type and layout rendering as they are the platforms we're designing for; but the design production is then transferred to hand coding in text editors. Hand coding isn't the problem here; it's the prospect of laying out a page without design production tools that's difficult for many (myself included).
In recent years, a few indie image editing apps have hit the scene, including Pixelmator and Acorn. These apps, and others like them, are impressive achievements, and a good alternative for certain tasks like image editing. Unfortunately, they aren't sophisticated enough to compete with the applications above when it comes to web design and layout. And that's OK—I don't believe they want to compete in this space; I only mention them for the purpose of discussion.
A wishlist
So what does an app that's made for web design look like? What are the native and common attributes that keep popping up with every page we design? This is a start for the considerations I find myself making on nearly every design I work on.
Per document grids
Different designs require different grids. Currently, in an app like Photoshop, you are only able to set global grid settings. Meaning, if you want to use different grids for your documents, you need to change these settings each time. Many people I know (myself included) get around this by just drawing out a grid on a separate layer and placing it above all the other layers. The disadvantage of this is not being able to use any sort of snap-to-grid and alignment functions built into the program. Everything either needs to be eyeballed or placed mathematically through a measurement palette. Having this reside at the document level would allow a design's grid to travel with it and stay intact for repeat uses (especially important when working as part of a team and sharing documents).
Page states
Webpages are living, dynamic spaces where the smallest interaction from a visitor can change the scope of an entire site. Menus can emerge and recede, system messages display and require action, page elements move, and the contents shift, all without the need for a page refresh. Because we're not dealing with a static medium, we need to be able to design for interactions and the shifting landscapes of a webpage. This is probably heading into something akin to object-oriented design, but an application needs to see elements rather than blocks of color or text. Photoshop, Illustrator, and Fireworks have some low-level functionality in this regard, but the need for more dynamic and non-destructive handling is clear.
The Character and Paragraph Style palettes from InDesign are able to globally control type similarly to how we use CSS.
CSS-esque type styling (dynamic styles palette)
This one should come as no surprise. CSS saves loads of time when it comes to global changes to typography. Merely changing a link color or font styling for a headliness in a Photoshop file can be tedious because they aren't centrally controlled. InDesign offers Character and Paragraph styles, which work like a charm. Something along those lines, but obviously geared a bit more towards CSS functionality, would be key. Additionally, being able to relatively link type styles ("make h2s 200% the base body text size") would be very powerful.
Fonts are exploding on the web in a big way. The ability to design with external fonts, or be able to use WOFF fonts safely, would help depict our designs better, and allow for quicker changes. Hell, being able to specify a font stack along with your styles—so you could quickly cycle through the visual changes that occur with fallback fonts—would be killer.
Page flow, text wrap, and fluidity
Every element on a webpage has the ability to affect the layout of other elements. We should be able to specify what actions to take (float, clear, wrap, etc.) when that happens. Additionally, a browser window is a fluid canvas; desktop design apps only work with a fixed canvas size, making comping a fluid/flexible design little more than a guess.
Knowledge of current browser interfaces
Using any of the desktop design apps for web design means having a bit of knowledge for the parameters of a browser window and screen sizes. Most of us probably work at what we consider a safe size (right now, likely around a 960px-wide viewing area). An application that can be configured to preview for a given screen size or the sizes of the different browser chromes (not unlike xScope's "Screens" feature) could be really handy. Especially if the different views of a browser also carry with them the rendering styles, defaults, fonts, and more for the platform and browser version.
Form elements are part of the basic language of the web. I'm tired of taking screenshots of forms in various states just to comp into a page. These things are baked into the OS, and an app should be able to easily allow for their display, not as bitmaps, but as editable objects.
Mobile platforms
This is a big one, and an area I don't think I'm as qualified to discuss. Design for mobile devices is a difficult problem; there are so many devices, most with unique software and hardware, and it's the field with the most amount of movement. Perhaps these requirements would be clearer after some formulation of the above occurred.
Options for the future
Why not design in the browser?
By now you must be saying, "hey moron, just design in a browser!" Well, I half-agree with you. In my article from a few years back about Fireworks I made the case for a new desktop app that could handle some of these functions. With how much things have changed in recent years, I'm more inclined to suggest the way forward probably lies with the help of a browser.
But I don't think the browser is enough. A web designer jumping into the browser before tackling the creative and messaging problems is akin to an architect hammering pieces of wood together and then measuring afterwards. The imaginative process is cut short by the tools at hand; and it's that imagination—or spark—at the beginning of a design that lays the path for everything that follows. Without it, you're at best able to make a website that looks like a website—rather than a design that tells a story in the form of a website.
Can WebKit save us?
I'm asking for something that sits on the fence between all of this. I don't think any of the current desktop apps or any given browser gets the job done. They all do a pretty good job at a few things, but no single one does well enough to really make it a solid prospect.
So why not build a desktop app for web design around WebKit? I'm not talking about an in-browser AJAX toolkit for dragging elements around and changing fonts, but an actual desktop application built with WebKit as the core to its display. It could have accurate rendering and previews for the way page elements would look, but with some of the WYSIWYG tools desktop design apps have. We wouldn't just approximate pixels in a flat comp, our CSS would be baked in to the layouts we draw and create on the page. And as Webkit grows, so too could this new app, always taking advantage of the latest and greatest functionality. Just like a browser, it could pull assets from remote servers; and just like a desktop app, it could make use of local processing power and OS-level functionality. This would allow it to effectively combine some of the best of both worlds, with a foot firmly planted in the web.
The advantages would be monumental, allowing a strong creative and explorative process, while seeing how things could react on a live stage. It would fulfill many of the items on my wishlist because these are already part of core browser functionality. We would essentially be designing with live page elements; not a picture of a text field—but a text field you could click into and start typing, and then drag to a different area of the page entirely.
I know I'm generalizing; I'm a designer first and most certainly not a developer, but I've been occupying this space and using these tools long enough to have a hunch for what works and what doesn't. An application like this could change the process of web design considerably. Most importantly, it wouldn't be a proxy application that we use to simulate the way webpages look—it would already speak the language of the web. It would truly be designing in the browser.
Special thanks to Mandy Brown and Liz Danzico for their always excellent editorial guidance.


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FH I V A I IIP fill A I ITY PRIP.P IDEALISE that extreme whiteness is no guarantee of quality, beause mtrogc* Our Flours produce HBI V flLULl yUllLI I I ■ I IllUbl I m peroxide is so widely used lo produce -whiteness in Flour. H B| B V bread of delicious flavour, n m mm h h realise that the very best flavoured bread cannot be produced jrom Flour ihus chemically treated I ■ B H H ■ |F you really believe in getting your and are warranted SB H ■■ 1 7 ■« REALISE the importance to your health of securing a genuine article to produce food fi,- moneys worth, take the time,' to,-your • of such paramount importance as bread. the natural colour pro- 9SBB H ■ H health's and your pocket's sake, and convince duced by high-class = = .u. yourself of the importance of what we say. milling. Snowdon Flake Flour Mills Ltd., Bangor, N. Wales. The only Large Flour Millers in the District. Ask your usual Grocer to supply you. 1111111111 111111 111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111I = Tel. No. 40. 5 BUCKLEY'S i CELEBRATED = CHRISTMAS CAKES ) i MINCE PIES, PLUM PUDDINGS i I CHRISTMAS SHOWROOM OF j | Crackers &> Fancy Chocolate 503 £ es 1 I OPEN DECEMBER lOtlm, I | OUR SPECIALITY. | i Cosaques for Table Decoration. I J WITHINGTON HOUSE, I COLWYN BAY..3 I llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllHllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllliiiil
UNPRODUCTIVE ADVERTISING is the nly kind that costs money. Advertising in the North Wales Weekly News pays you.
PERSONAL AND SOCIAL. Sir Richard Henry Williams-Bulkeley, has been appointed Commander, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve, in command of the Mersey Division. Mr. J. E. Jones, cashier of the London City and Midland Bank, Llanrwst, has been ap- pointed manager of the branch of the same bank at Carmarthen. At Bangor Catheral on Saturday, the Dean dedicated the new steps and platform to the lectern, the gift of Mrs. Jones, Bron Derw, in memory of her late husband, Canon David Jones, Llandegai. The Duchess of Westminster is to enter- tain a large family party at Eaton Hall for Christmas. It is not certain yet whether the Duke of Westminster will return from South Africa in time. Relieved of the worry of a contest in West Denbighshire, Sir Herbert Roberts on Satur- day took his usual place as presiding magistrate at the Abergele Police Court, and spent a quiet hour discharging his magisterial duties. Lady Naylor Leyland is this week enter- taining a large shooting party at Nantclwyd, her son's place in Denbighshire. There are plenty of birds at Nantclwyd this year, and capital sport was obtained there about three weeks ago, when the Grand Duke Michael was the guest of honour. Mr David Jones, Portmadoc, a well-known shipbuilder in North Wales, dieJ on Monday at Portmadoc, from pneumonia, at the age of 67 years. Apprenticed at Pwllheli, Mr. Jones started as a shipbuilder at Portmadoc about 35 years ago, and built a large number of sailing vessels. The ships he built were generally from 200 to 300 tons, and were to a large extent designed for either the Welsh slate trade or the Newfoundland fish trade. Mr. Roger Hughes of Bala, a retired surgeon, left estate valued at j £ I 2,001 (net personality £ 9,684). He bequeathed £ 1,000 upon trust to his servant Ellen Humphreys, £ 50 to his servant Selina Evans, £ 25 to his former groom John Evans, £ 100 to Gwilym Evans, son of his groom (payable when he shall enter upon his collegiate career Zioo to the Welsh Calvinistic Methodist College at Bala, £600 to the Bala County Schools for bursaries and scholarships, and £ 400 to the Welsh Calvinistic Methodist Chapel at Bala. Captain J. E. Pinchin, commodore of the London and North-Western Railway Com- pany's fleet of cross-Channel steamers, has been unanimously chosen to fill the vacancy on the executive of the Council of the Mer- cantile Marine Service Association, caused by the death of Captain G. Foot. Captain Pinchin has been a member of the association for twenty years, and is the first officer of his line to hold a seat on its Council. He resides at Holyhead, is a J.P. for county Louth, and a younger brother of the Honourable Trinity House Brethren. The Rev. F. S. M. Bennett, the new rector of Hawarden, in a letter to his parishioners published in the Hawarden Parish Magazine, announces that there are to be five new mem- bers of the parish clerical staff. It is not my fault, lie states, that, with the exception of the Rev. A. V. Lyttelton, who is staying on at St. John's, all the assistant curates either have left or are going to leave. On Sunday the Rev. J. E. Hughes would take up duty at Broughton, and the Revs. A. J. Pitkin and M. Parry Jones would come to Hawarden. Directly after Christmas the Rev. C. J. Cohu will join the staff, and towards the end of January the Rev. J. M. Price is coming from Warrington. The Rev. J. J. Robinson, of Christ Church, Chester, is to take charge of Shotton. low
JOTTINGS FROM NA TURE. DECEMBER 5TH. That blood-thirsty little quadruped, the stoat, occurs more frequently on the Great Orme than is generally admitted indeed, though in most country districts it is as a rule outnumbered by the weasel, on the headland the stoat apparently is the com- moner of the two. On Saturday last a friend of mine trapped one in a hencote on the western sdde of the Head, making the fourth culprit he has secured this year. Ho has had genuine cause to grieve over the depre- dations of the individuals that have found their way into his fowl-house, and he tells me, with apparent consolation, that five stoats were caught napping there in 1909, but he has seen no weasel near his run neither this nor last year. He affirms that whilst the weasel only sucks the iblood of its victims, the stoat will not only absorb its attention to draining the vital fluid but that it will ofter make a meal of portions of the flesh of its quarry, for the bodies of some of the chickens and domesticated pigeons which he has found have been unmistake. ably eaten into. It is strange, I think, that stoats manage to subsist at all on the head- land there is comparatively little cover there, and those who keep poultry are ever on the alert for vermin.
WEEK BY TVEEK. ENVY PREVAILS. He's not so much a neighbour as he used to be, but still He'll smile and speak in passing from afar And so you solve the problem —though it seems a bitter pill- As you realise he's got a motor car. Willie, go and wash your hands. And do it quick, before Lloyd George puts a land tax on them."—" Globe." A rollicking Radical father at Tonypandy found a new son when he got home on Saturday night. He promptly decided to have him christened John Dissolution Jones, and the mother is nearly crazv over it. When Sir Marchant Williams was tutor of the Bangor Normal College he had as one of his pupils Professor Henry Jones, the eminent professor of Philosophy in the University of Glasgow. The two do not always see eye to eye now. It is held that the County intermediate schools in Wales take the lead in the teaching of modern languages and geography. Several of the schools possess laboratories for the teaching of geography, and in the last new buildings opened a mathematical laboratory has been provided. In many of the girls' schools botany is taught instead of chemistry as being a more suitable subject for girls. During the last eight years 675 pupils from 67 schools under the Central Welsh Board have graduated in various universities 72 pupils have taken first-class honours in the University of Wales, and at least 537 scholar- ships have been gained during the last ten years at various universities, including at least 46 at Oxford and Cambridge. During the same period at least 390 former scholars have been appointed to posts in English secondary schools. Its Sunday School work is one of the glones of Wales, and there was never anyone yet found who could sneer at it, save, of co irse, the anonymons author of that egregious libel, the Perfidious Welshman." Up to the pre- sent, however, the Welsh Sunday School has not possessed a magazine exclusively its own, and the Methodists are preparing to take the matter up. If the idea meets with the success it deserves, the first number of the new periodi- cal will see the light with the New Year. < Students of the history of Nonconformity in Wales are under a debt of gratitude to the Rev. Dr. Hugh Jones, of Bangor, for the work he is doing through his History of Welsh Wesleyan Methodism,' upon which he is at present engaged, and which is being pub- lished in parts. Much light is thrown in the portion of the work already published upon the theological controversies in Wales during the first half of the last century between the Wesleyan Methodists and the Calvinistic Methodists, and which attracted so much attention in various parts of the Principality. Welsh has to be bear burdens which are not fairly its own. In his rousing speech at Nottingham, Mr. Littlejohns said that he recently called the Government a mawkish medley of parasitical lugubriousness, and the Daily News called him a penultimate azomptote who ought to be adumbrated with fissaparous apologetics. When Mr. Littlejohns after- wards entered the Nottingham Constitutional Club there were a number of gentlemen dis- cussing the speech. Turning to the orator, one of them said, I have just been telling-my friends about your speech, sir, and about the quotations which you gave us in Welsh." The Welsh phrases are given above. In a book just published, entitled Lanca- shire Life and Character," attention is drawn to the Strong Celtic element still existing after many centuries of struggle in the population of Lancashire, especially in the localities more particularly within the range of the blue hills dividing Lancashire and Yorkshire. There is an unusually large number of words of Celtic origin to be found in the speech of what may be called the Lancashire hinterland. It is to this Celtic race rather than to the Saxon element that one looks for homely humour, and the pre- servation of the folk-lore, as well as for the expression in a racy patois of the thoughts and aspirations of the people. There is a suspicion in not a few minds that the tarred road is prejudicial to health. Tar gives off, it is asserted, especially under the influence of the warm rays of the sun, peculiar empyreumatic substances which irritate the respiratory tract at some point or another. The Lancet is not disposed to accept that any really serious cases based upon this theory have arisen. If they have, the slight mischief can have been only transitory. Our contem- porary concedes that the process of tarring the road gives rise to inconvenience, and here and there it may cause irritation to the nasal passages and throat, but as soon as the sur- face mass of the road has set it is confident that no complaint on grounds of prejudice to health can be fairly levelled against the innovation. < Many years ago,at Salford Quarter Sessions, a man was summoned to the jury box, when he said, S our honour, I claim to be excused. I was brought up in Wales all my life, and I do not understand the English language pro- perly." You seem to speak the language very well," replied the Chairman. Well," retorted the Cymro, but these words are only common words, but in law, you know, there are many words I could not understand at all. "Oh," said the Chairman, I don't think you'll find that to be the case. I think it's worth your while to stay and see how easy it all is." I assure you I shall not under- stand it," declared the Welshman I've heard what passed this morning, but don't understand a word of it." Roars of laughter followed this assertion, yet Jones was sworn, f and (adds a paper of the period) he appeared to make such an excellent juryman that we hope to see him in the same box next session.
CAKES AND PUDDINGS.—No. 56 RICH CHRISTMAS CAKL 1 packet Cakeoma. 6 oz. Butter. 6 Eggs. i lb. Sultanas. lb Candied Peel 2 lb. Currants. J lb. Blanched Sweet Almonds. A wineglassful of Rum. (Makes about 5 lbs. of Cake.) METHOD.—Rub the Cakeoma and Butter weil together until it is quite fine. Beat up the Eggs with the Rum, and add them to the first ingredients and lightly mix; then add the fruit, &c., and again mix lightly but thoroughly all together. Bake in a moderate oven. Cakeoma is sold in 3-Jd. packets by Grocers and Stores everywhere. Recipe book will be sent post free on re- quest to Latham & Co., Ltd., Liverpool.
Conway Corporation and Mr.…
Conway Corporation and Mr. I Albert Wood. POINTED DISCUSSION. At the'meeting of the Conway Corporation yesterday (Wednesday) afternoon, the Mayor (Councillor Hy. Jones) presiding, the Estate Committee's minutes contained the following The Borough Surveyor reported that Mr. Albert Wood had pulled down a part of the Marine Walk wall, opposite the Quarry, but was informed that Mr. Wood would again re- build the wall." Councillor J. W. Hughes said he should like to ask the Surveyor some question on this matter. "When was the wall taken down, and did he consider that the gentleman in question had any right to take it down ? Was not this a second offence, and was it not also a great danger to the public? Had he any assurance in writing that the wall would be re-built ? The Surveyor replied that the wall was taken down on the 20th October without per- mission, and this was the second time. It was a danger to the public at night, because there was no light there. He had no assur- ance in writing. At the request of Mr. J. W. Hughes, the Suveyor read a letter he had sent to Mr. Wood on the matter, and added he had had no reply. Mr. J. W. Hughes then said that in 1876 an agreement was entered into between Albert Wood and Thomas Jones, Surveyor of the Council, whereby Mr. Wood agreed to make a road, now known as the Marine Walk. There was a most important condition from the ratepayers' point of view, and that was that Mr. Wood undertook to give sufficient road to enable the town of Conway to have a road seven yards wide-not seven feet. That meant that they were entitled to get another five yards from Mr. Wood, the whole length of the Marine Walk. In the document there was no reservation in Mr. Wood's favour to quarry the stone he was quarrying at present, and that was certainly no reservation that he should take down the wall. If Mr Wood said he had no right to take the wall down, then it was only reasonable that the parishioners should say that they had a right to go on Twthill. That was putting the matter plainly. He did not wish to be harsh on Mr Wood, who had been eleven times Mayor of the Borough, and had the Freedom of the Borough conferred upon him, and was also a Justice of the Peace. He thought that from a gentleman like that, they should be shown a good example, and not leave the Surveyor's letter without an acknowledgment. He would say that it was a deliberate insult to treat them in that way. Mr Wood had only recently built a hideous wall on Bangor-road. He did not say but what he was exercising his right, but let the Council also act strictly within their rights. As they knew, Mr Wood com- menced an action for an injunction and damages against the Council in respect of an imaginary grievance with regards to the Gas Works, with the result that the Council had altered the Gas Works, in o der to pre- vent the fumes going towards Bodlondeb. He should like to say in parenthesis that the Gas Works were there before Mr Wood came. (Laughter.) The speaker went on to give a history of the action, and added that shortly after the Freedom of the Borough had been conferred upon him, he was defying them with the Council property. He now moved that the Town Clerk be instructed to write that day to Mr Wood requiring him to have the wall which he had pulled down on the Marine Walk re-built during the course of to-day (Thursday), failing which the Town Clerk be empowered to institute proceedings against Mr Wood on Friday next for an injunction and damages. Alderman Netherwood said he had expected there would have been a competition to second the proposition. He did so with the greatest pleasure. It had been made quite clear that the boundary wall in question belonged to the Corporation, and Mr. Wood had no right to pull it down without permission of the Council. As regards the wall built in Bangor Road, he personally was not satisfied the wall actually belonged to Mr Wood. He maintained throughout that the Council ought to have fought the action with respect to the gasworks. Mr. Wood built Bodlondeb know- ing that the gasworks were there, and he believed if the action had been contested, no judge would have granted the injunction asked for. Time after time the Council had taken proceedings against poor people for very trivial matters in comparison to this, and we would say in future Do your duty as councillors and let us settle this matter once and for all for the benefit of the majority of the ratepayers." Councillor J. E. Conway-Jones considered that the resolution was a somewhat drastic one, and he suggested that more time should be allowed to re-build the wall. He under- stood that Councillor Hughes did not wish to go any further than to enforce the re-building of this wall. Councillor Hughes said that even at the eleventh hour he wished to be reasonable with Mr. Wood. Councillor Conway Jones said that certainly Mr Woodshould re-build this wall, but he felt that the resolution was rather drastic. There were possibilities that even Mr Wood could not command men to attack this wall at once, and he felt that a resolution calling attention to his promise to re-build the wall should be passed. Councillor J. W. Hughes said that Mr Wood had been given an opportunity to put right what he had no right to interfere with. The Council treated him in a most charitable way. Mr Wood, if he liked, could do as every other ratepayer would do, and apply to the Corporation for permission. Twenty-four hours was quite sufficient for any man who had done what Mr. Wood had done. He did not mean that he should re- build the wall in twenty-four hours, but he thought it only reasonable that he should send an assurance in writing that he would re-build it. If Mr. Wood could not do it to-morrow (Thursday) then let him com- municate with the Council offices in the usual way and ask for an extension of time. Councillor Stott said he took it that the whole of the trouble was about this wall. If he (Mr. Stott) did it he would be punished. He thought that Mr Wood should do as every other man did. Alderman Dr. Morgan wished to include in the resolution that the Council protested against Mr. Wood taking down the wall at all. Referring to the Bangor-road wall, he thought that was very important, and the en- trance to Cadnant Park was most dangerous. The Surveyor said he spoke to Mr. Wood on the telephone about this matter. There was no written communication from Mr. Wood. Councillor Hughes said that a telephone communication was not good enough. Let them ask Mr. Wood to take an assurance on the telephone. Mr. Wood was an excellent business-man and would not do that. Councillor Conway Jones said he was as democratic as any councillor, but he ques- tioned very much whether Councillor Hughes would propose such a resolution in the case of an ordinary man or a working man. He did not hold a brief for Mr .Wood. He thought it would be more regular and more in conso- nance with the dignity of the Council to refer to the promise of Mr. Wood to the Surveyor. I He moved as an amendmentt that Mr. Wood be given until Saturday to rebuild the wall. Councillor J. W. Hughes said he would agree to that, and the proposition was then carried unanimously. On the motion of Alderman Edward Ro- berts, seconded by Mr James Stott, it was decided to call the attention of the County Council to the wall in Bangor-road.
Sunday Golf at Penmaenmawr.
Sunday Golf at Penmaenmawr. VIGOROUS DISCUSSION BY THE DISTRICT COUNCIL. The chief subject of interest at the Pen- maenmawr LTrban District Council on Tues- day evening, was the question of Sunday golf. At the previous meeting of the Council, during a discussion on the agree- ment between the Council and the Golf Club, there was a remark that there was nothing to prohibit the playing of Sunday golf. This, when published, led to a considerable stir in the town, with the result that the churches took the matter up. Mr. P. H. McClement presided over the meeting. The Clerk announced that seven peti- tions had been received from the mem- bers and adherents of the following places of worship:—Horeb Welsh Congre- gational, Maenan C.M., Seion Baptist, Glyn C.M., Salem Welsh Congregational, and Jerusalem C.M., together with a similar petition from the Women's Temperance Union. Each of these had passed the follow- ing resolution That we appeal to the Council to insert a clause in their agreement with the Golf Club prohibiting Sunday golf." Councillor R. I). Owen had also given notice of a resolution, which he proposed to submit to the Council, that the following clause be inserted in the agreement with the Golf Club —" That the golf links be closed on Sundays." The Chairman called upon Mr. Owen to move his resolution. In doing so, Mr. Owen said Considerable misapprehension exists in the town in refer- ence to this matter, and reports have been circulated which were not reliable. I ven- ture to think that we are not approaching this question from a narrow-minded point of view. Such charges as being bigots and Sabbatarians have crossed the table, charges that were not deserved, but harmless enough. We look upon Sunday from different points of view. The modern world will not accept that view of Sunday observance which pre- vailed in other days. The majority to-day believe that Sunday should not be a day of gloom. Of this change of opinion it would be idle to complain we must accept it as the natural development of our time, and endeavour to give it a right direction. It doesn't mean that we are less religious, it may mean that we are becoming more honest. There is, therefore, NO QUESTION OF CANT in the desire to keep our Sunday as a day of rest. The labour involved seems to me the crucial test in all these matters of Sunday recreation. A minimum of labour there must be. The clergyman preaches, the doc- tor visits his patient, the driver pilots his engine. These limits are reasonable ones. But certainly we may insist that there should be no labour to minister to pleasure. Sun- day golf for golfers inevitably means Sunday labour for caddies. Then there is the labour for those in charge of the pavilion. Being registered as a club, and if open on Sundays, an attendant must be at the bar all day. This is in direct contradiction to the spirit of the Sunday Closing Act. By keeping I this place open on Sunday, we are- providing in Penmaenmawr an extra bar for Sunday drinking. It is no argument to sav that other links are open on Sundays, This is the age of specialisation. We specialise in Penmaenmawr in pure air, unrivalled moun- tains, a splendid seafront, and last, but cer- tainly not the least, a quiet Sunday. Those are the lines we work upon—we excel in those,—and don't let us depart from them. I have nothing but praise for those that have brought the golf links to such a state of per- fection. They have exercised great care, intelligence, and commonsense. The resi- dents of the town are against Sunday golf, the bulk of our visitors would take the same view, and ours would be a very narrow- minded policy if we did not, as a Council, cover ourselves from the possibility of golf playing and drinking on Sunday, especially when this movement is founded on Municipal lines. We have a duty to perform, that of keeping an even balance between different claims of society, and I firmly believe that we would not err in that duty if we said that the links must be closed on Sundays. Mr. S. Williams seconded the proposition. Dr. Jenkins Have the golf links been opened on Sunday ? The Chairman Not at all. Dr. Jenkins Then I don't see how they can be closed. Dr. J. R. Williams said the mover of the resolution almost insinuated that golfers were a SET OF DESPICABLE HEATHENS, and he was sorry to say that he was in that category. He was a golfer, and as a medical man was expected to work on Sundays, but any recreation was denied him. Many of the chapel and church folks took walks on Sundays, and he did not think it any worse to play an innocent game of golf. He (the speaker) had no wish to play golf on Sun- days, but he would have no hesitation in doing so, but he would respect the feelings of the people in the neighbourhood of the golf links. He saw absolutely no harm in doing so, and with regard to the insinuation about Sunday drinking among golfers, he doubted very much whether golfers were as much addicted to alcoholic drinks as other people were. He knew for a fact that the majority of the golfers had tea at the pavi- lion. Was it not an insult to the golfers to hint that they went to the pavilion to make it a kind of shebeen on a Sunday ? He strongly objected to that. He proposed as an amendment, that no Sunday golf be allowed without the permission of the Coun- cil. He objected to closing the links alto- gether on a Sunday, because he might want to have a walk around there on a Sunday. Even an enthusiastic golfer would not play during worship hours. There was no danger of any such thing. It was a positive insult to hint that any member of the Penmaen- mawr Golf Club would demean himself or go to the pavilion and sit down drinking there on a Sunday. They might go and have a cup of tea, but surely there was no objection to that. He hoped to go there some Sunday himself, but not to play, but surely the Council were not going to deny him having a cup of tea. Mr. F. D. Chantrev seconded the amend- ment, stating that the people had been mis- led altogether. There never had been Sun- day golf at Penmaenmawr, and there never was any intention of having it. He doubted whether the Golf Club would sign the agree- ment if such restrictions as the one sug- gested was put in. He could not under- stand who had been talking to the people
Christmas Confections CHRISTMAS CAKES. MINCE MEAT. s' -O PLUM PUDDINGS. c BONED & TRUFFLED TURKEYS. r BOAR'S HEAD. CXV PRESSED BEEF. COSAQUES. CHOCOLATES, V FANCY BOXES. yS yS "AT HOMES." Q* yS BALL SUPPERS ",0-<0 HUNT BREAKFASTS. yS DINNERS. BANQUETS. WEDDING RECEPTIONS, &c. CARRIED^OUT IN THE BEST POSSIBLE WAY IN ANY PART OF THE COUNTRY. Telegrams: ,Bollands," Chester. Telephone 37.
Death ofMr. John Marsan, Rhos-on-Sea.
Death ofMr. John Marsan, Rhos-on-Sea. iVVELL-KNOWN COACfi- PROPRIETOR. We deeply regret to announce the death of Mr. John Marsan, coach-proprietor of the Rhos Mews, Rhos-on-Sea, which sad event took place on Monday evening. Mr. Marsan, who was in his 48th year, was about his business as usual on Friday, but returned 31 home on the evening of that day complaining of the bitter East wind which prevailed. He had received a severe chill and went to bed, and passed away on Monday as above stated. Mr. Marsan, who was a native of Bolton, first visited Rhos-on-Sea about a quarter of a century ago as coachman to a private family, and his periodical visits in that capacity caused him to form a great liking for Rhos, with the result that about 12 years ago he started business on his own account as a carriage proprietor. As the beautiful resort developed so did Mr Marsan's business increase, until he became the possessor of the new and up-to-date Rhos Mews, which are a model of their kind. A great lover of horses and neat turnouts, Mr Marsan's name had become very well-known, and he and his men were always present at festive and other functions with smart equipages. Mr. Marsan took a real pride in his business, and many are the people who remember how beautiful were his turnouts in the Colwyn Bay and Rhos-on- Sea May-Day Festivities, where he was fre- quently the winner of first prizes. Mr. Marsan was a man of strong physique, and a well-known figure in the Rhos and Colwyn Bay district. His sudden death came as a shock to the neighbourhood where he was held in high regard for his courteous manner and genial disposition. To many in Rhos he had pioved a good friend and his loss will be keenly felt. Although frequently asked to take an active part in the public life of the district, he always declined, arguing that it took him all his time to look after his prosperous business as it should be done. He leaves a widow and a son and daughter to mourn his loss, and with them much sympathy is felt. The funeral takes place to-day (Thursday) at Llandrillo Churchyard, and will be of a public character. The funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Messrs. Allen & Sons, Station- road.
Mr. Lloyd George.
Mr. Lloyd George. Friday's Visit to Deganwy and Conway. The Chancellor is devoting the week-end to the boroughs in his constituency. To-morrow (Friday) he will speak at the C.M. Chapel, Deganwy, at 4 o'clock; and at the Town Hall, Conway, at 5 o'clock. We understand that admission will be by ticket preference being given to the electors.
Carnarvon Boroughs.
Carnarvon Boroughs. LLOYD GEORGE AND "LLOYD JONES." The official publication of the names of th candidates in the Carnarvon Boroughs for the first time makes it known that both of them include the name Lloyd," thus- David Lloyd George and Austin Lloyd Jones. Voters are warned to take care not to get confused between the two names, which will be piinted in full on the voting paper.
COLWYN BAY. THE COLWYN BAY CHESS CLUB meets every Thursday evening at seven o'clock at the Cafe Royal, Station Road. Subscription, 5s. per annum. NO MORE INKY FINGERS. SELF-FILL- ING FOUNTAIN PL. Fills in a flash. Fitted with i4ct. gold nib Iridium Tipped, and single feed. A real bargain sent per post for 5s. 7d. Obtainable at R. E. Jones and Bros., Weekly News" Office, Colwyn Bay. NOW ON SALE, in aJI bindings, Book of Common Prayer with Prayers amended for King George V. 'and Royal Family.—R. E. Jones & Bros., "Weekly News Office, Col. wyn Hay. XMAS CARDS, XMAS CARDS.—Private greeting cards. Samples now ready, from 2s. per dozen. Book sent out to any ad- dress on receipt of a Postcard.—R. E. Jones and Bras., Weekly News Office, 8, Sta- tion.road, Colwyn Bay. GUIDE TO WELSH. Part 1. For use at the evening classes. Price is. Jd.-R. E. Jones and Bros., Weekly News Office, Colwyn Bay. TO ALL BOOK-LOVERS.—A branch of the Modern Circulating Library is now open. The only Central Library, with CHANGE OF BOOKS EVERY MONTH. ALWAYS SOMETHING FRESH TO READ by the best Authors.—R. E. Jones and Bros., Weekly News" Office, 8, Station-road, Colwvn Bav. HAVE YOU CHOSEN YOUR DIARY FOR 1910? If not, then go to R. E. Jones & Bros., and inspect their large stock of diaries, scribbling, pocket and desk, in all sizes, prices, and bindings.—R. E. Jones & Bros., 8, Station-road, Colwyn Bay. NOW ON SALE.—A large assortment of Christmas numbers, including Pears Annual, Graphic, Illustrated London News, Punch, &c. To avoid disappointment, secure at once.- R. E. Jones & Bros., Weekly News Office, Colwyn Bay. MR. HARRY REYNOLDS AND THE FOOTBALL CLUI,In conjunction with Mr. Harry Reynold's animated pictures at the Public Hall, a concert will be given on Wednesday, December 14th, in aid of the Colwyn Bay United F.C. Y.M.C.A. LITERARY AND DEBATING SOCIETY.—On Monday evening Mr. H. Taylor, of Mochdre, gave a highly interesting and instructive paper on Can. Arbitration be substituted for War ? which was thor- oughly enjoyed by all present. ENOCH ARDEN."—To-morrow (Fri- day) evening, at 8 o'clock, in the Church Room, Mr. John Astlev, will recite Enoch Arden," with Mr. Edgerley Tavlor at the piano, in aid of the cripple fund of the Waifs and Strays Society BETHLEHEM C.M. LITERARY AND DEBATING SOC IETY. Monarchy or Republic this was the subject of debate entered upon by the Society on Mondav evening. Ir. J. Davies, Green Villa, sup- ported Monarchy." whilst Mr. E. G. Jones opposed. RHYL BOXING-DAY EISTEDDFOD.— All entries should be sent to the secretaries on or before Dec. 13th (Tuesday next). The preliminary test on Recitation, Solos, &c. at the New Pavilion from to a.m. Full particu- lars, see the Day Programme.- Parry & Jones, Claremont House, Abbey-street, Rhyl. DEATH OF MRS. HALLIWELL.-The death took place on Saturday of Mrs. Annie Halliwell, formerly of Cheltenham, but who had been resident in Colwyn Bay for over ten years with Mrs. Jones, Graham Villa, Hawarden-road, Colwyn Bay, at the ripe age of 80 years. The venerable widowed lady was noted for her acts of philanthropy whilst resident in the Bay. For years she was a faithful member of St. Paul's Church, and of later years of St. Andrew's Church, King's-road. The private funeral took place yesterday (Wednesday) at Llandrillo Church- yard, and was conducted by Canon Roberts and the Rev. Rees Morris. Messrs Allen and Sons were the undertakers. PUBLIC OFFICIAL'S SUCCESS.—Mr. Watson Hartley, F.I.S.A., L.A.A., Assistant Accountant to the Colwyn Bay Urban Dis- trict Council, has gained very striking recog- nition of his abilities. A new loans ledger which he devised for recording the loan transactions of local authorities has just been purchased from him, and published as a standard form, by Messrs. Shaw & Sons; the well-known Local Government pub- lishers. This form, the details of which will be readily intelligible to and appreciated by all concerned in municipal finance, is designed to afford a maximum of information with a minimum of labour,, and from what we hear, there is very likely to be a considerable de- mand for the book, which is described as Hartley's Loans Ledger." Colwyn Bay Bay Council should feel gratified to find one of their officials gaining such distinction. Mr. Hartley has this week been elected a Fellow of the Incorporated Secretaries' Association and a Licentiate of the Central Association of Accountants. OBITUARY.—The funeral of Miss Hum- phreys, of Sandal, Colwyn Bay (whose death was recorded in last week's issue), took place on Saturday, at Bronynant Cemetery. The Rev^ T. Lloyd, Colwyn Bav, and the Rev, W E. Jones (Penllyn), Old Colwyn. officiated. Beautiful floral tributes were received, and numerous letters of condolence from sym- pathising friends far and near. The under- takers were Messrs. D. Allen & Sons, Colwyn Bav. The relatives of the late Miss Hum- phreys desire to return thanks for the many expressions of sympathy extended to them in their sad bereavement.
the day of the poll it is of course impossible to forecast, but it is difficult to see why they should support Mr. Austin Jones on his own merits as revealed by himself. The candi- date who assures an audience that, if Tariff Reform should raise the cost of living to the working classes, he will insist upon his party passing a law to force the employers to pay increased wages—well, that candidate has a great deal to learn before he can prove his fitness to represent an intelligent electorate in Parliament. But this is the type of op- ponent who seeks to displace the most dis- tinguished statesman our country has pro- duced, a Minister of the Crown whose name is honoured throughout the Empire, alike for his rare personal courage and his splendid political sagacity. We have never held that the Conservatives of the Boroughs are not entitled to oppose Mr. Lloyd George's return to Parliament, but for their own credit's sake we would expect them to bring forward a candidate capable of presenting an intelligible exposition of their political faith. That this condition again is lamentably lacking is only too clearly proved by the Deganwy speech and the election address. Mr. Austin Jones may some day enter St. Stephens, and if he does so we wish him a successful Parliament- ary career. But whatever the future may have in store for him he has not up to now evinced that aptitude for statesmanship which one would expect to find in a candi- date whose aim is to unseat a Member who has long since proved his special fitness, not only to represent Carnarvon Boroughs, but to be the chosen leader of the democracy of these islands. Mr. Austin Jones, quite apart from any opinion as to his personal abilities, comes before the electorate with a blank record. Mr. Lloyd George, in seeking a renewal of his own people's confidence, submits a record of long, faithful, self-sacrificing, distinguished and fruitful service. Which will they pre- fer ? Surely they will chose to be repre- sented by a Member who has accomplished great things on their behalf, and who has paved the way for even greater benefits in the future. Sentiment has a great deal to I do with the results of elections in some places. But Mr. Lloyd George would scorn to appeal to mere sentiment in this contest, even although it is overwhelmingly in his favour. No he comes forward with an inalienable right to point to his record of honest work done. Moreover, he comes forward as the champion of principles which he believes in and cherishes, principles that are dear to the hearts of the vast majority of his countrymen, those principles which ennoble and uplift a nation and are destined to prevail. By voting for Mr. Lloyd George, the electors range themselves in the ranks of that great army which is fighting for the principle of free citizenship of a free Empire. Mr. Austin Jones in his address tries to mis- lead the public by obscuring the real issues. Masquerading in borrowed plumes, he is vain enough to suppose that the electors will take him for what he is not. He pays lip service to the very principles which Mr. Lloyd George has so long and so valiantly espoused, but directly his utterances are examined the note of insincerity becomes painfully discordant. He is foolish enough to expect that the wonderful dodge to sweep Lancashire," which resulted in such a complete rout of the Tariffites, will succeed in deluding the people of his native land, those people of a mountainous country for whom his friend Mr. F. E. Smith has such a profound contempt. The clever tactics, which proved too clever by half in Manchester and elsewhere, are doomed to similar failure in Carnarvon Boroughs. Instead of those tricky catch- words, adopted by the disunited Unionist party in a panic, Mr. Lloyd George stands before the people he has served and clearly and boldly proclaims his views, which show that he has not deviated by a single hair's breadth from the line of policy he was chosen by them to pursue. Our Chancellor in giving an account of his faithful steward- ship can claim to have more than justified the confidence reposed in him. What, then, is the duty of the electors towards him ? It is to give him a renewed proof of their con- fidence and admiration and gratitude by returning him to Parliament with a grand majority—a majority such as will strengthen and hearten him in his fight, against such heavy odds, on behalf of popular liberties.
Sunday Golf at Penmaenmawr.
in the places of worship that the Golf Club could be so wicked to play golf on Sunday. Mr. R. D. Jones said he should like Me. Chantrey to name the person whom he hinted had talked in the chapels. There were only two against at the previous meet- ing, and he was one. It looked as if the charge was made that some of the members of the Council had been asking the different churches to bring the resolutions forward. The Chairman jokingly remarked that they could exonerate both the gentlemen who voted against from the charge, if such a charge was made. Mr. Chantrey said he did not mean to insinuate anything. The Chairman, as one who had taken a leading part in the construction of the links, said there never was any intention to have Sunday golf. He very mi doubted whether the Golf Club would ever introduce the question without first ascertaining the views of the Council on the matter. Mr. R. D. Jones and Mr. D. Gordon Jones spoke in favour of the motion, and the Chair- man and Dr. Jenkins supported the amend- ment. ment. Mr. R. D. Owen, replying to the discussion, said that if they accepted the amendment the pavilion would be opened every Sunday. They were the custodians of the ratepayers' conscience, and the r demand was that the place should be closed, He repudiated the idea that anv reflection was cast on the golfer;. There voted lor the amendment, five, viz.. Dr. NN- Illiam-, Mr. F. D. Chantrey. Mr. David Jones, D-. Jenkins, Mr. P. H. McClement. F."of the motion, four, vi?., Mr. R. D. Owen, D. G. Jones Mr. S. Williams, and fr. Thomas Roberts. The amendment was therefore declared carried.


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14 Tasting Notes
Wow, I love this Sencha. This is my first Fukamushi and I'm so impressed. Such a lovely green cup and tastes exactly like it smells. It's not too bitter or grassy, but lightly sweet and vegetal. It definitely tastes of buttery asparagus with a hints of artichoke, and it's just a little bit brothy. Divine. I will definitely be purchasing more to this.
This is a very summery green tasting sencha. It has a nice vegetal aroma, but the taste is a balance of grassy and a collard green like vegetal. However, there is a little bit of bitterness to it, but it's energizing as well. Overall I do like it quite a bit and it has a very healthful feel to it. However, as with just about anything Teavana, you could get better, cheaper elsewhere.
Oh, and on a side note plain tart frozen yogurt bring out the flavor any decent sencha and makes it taste that much better. Yummmm!
IMHO, masala chai should be both bold and strong. This tea is made with assam, and I love that about this tea. It's become popular her in the U.S. to use other teas to make masala chai, such as darjeeling, oolongs, and even green and white teas, because assam has a reputation for being bitter and astringent. Darjeelings aren't quite bold enough, oolongs don't cut it, and green and whites get completely over powered by the spices. Assam is used in India to make masala, and the power of it really stands up the boldness of the spices, so it's certainly preferable to any tea . While I enjoyed the blend of spices in this one, I found it to be too heavy on the cinnamon. Overall though I am happy with this one, even though it's too expensive.
Wow, this really is an extremely bold Masala chai, which I adore. However, while the flavor is very good, there is a little too much cinnamon and not enough cardamom for my tastes. It still makes an excellent cup of chai though and does and wonderful job of waking me right up :)
This is my favorite Masala chai blend. It's a well balanced with a mix of traditional whole spices. They use curled assam, the same tea used in authentic Masala chai, which really gives it a nice full depth to the flavor. Most American Masala chai suffers from a lack of cardamom, but this blend has just the right amount. An excellent well rounded blend that you can add to if you prefer.
Sweet, yet rich and full. I prefer this one with milk and sugar.
God Save the Queen – S*x Pistols
I rarely purchase grocery store teas, but I was craving chai, had heard Numi was a good brand, and the box does say "full leaf tea". After getting it home I just cut open a bag and put it in the teapot. That's when I discovered that it doesn't look like full leaf at all; it appears to be ground and twiggy. Well, I decided to try it anyway, just in case it was better than it looks. Cinnamon overwhelmed all the other spices and the tea was just weak. Not much more to say; I just really didn't like it and was upset over what I feel was the false claim that it's a loose leaf tea.
Ah, so smooth and sweet with no astringency or grassy flavors. I'm picking up apple, almost and applewoodsy taste, as well as grape and a hint of pecan. I had three infusions of this one and the flavor doesn't seem to vary much with each steeping.


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The Big-Picture Economy, Part 1: Labor, Imports and the Dollar (September 23, 2013) It is impossible for the U.S. to maintain the reserve currency and run trade surpluses. Many well-meaning commentators look back on the era of strong private-sector unions and robust U.S. trade surpluses with longing. The Progressive consensus (articulated by Robert Reich, among others) is that unions gave the working and middle classes bargaining power that has been lost in the decline of unions. Other commentators look back with similar nostalgia on the large trade surpluses (i.e. current account surplus) of the same era--the 1950s and 1960s. The two trends are connected. Unions had bargaining power because the corporations on the other side of the table were generally cartels (autos, steel, etc.) that were largely domestic, meaning that they were captive to domestic markets and politics. All these conditions have changed. Present-day U.S. corporations are global, not domestic; up to 75% of their sales and/or profits are generated in overseas markets, and a similar percentage of their workforces are also overseas, not just for cost reasons but to stay close to the markets generating their profits. Free-trade agreements restrict attempts to protect domestic markets from overseas competition, and as a result domestic unions have essentially zero bargaining power with either nominally American firms or their global competitors in most markets. The only sectors open to union bargaining power are domestic monopolies or cartels with no overseas competition, i.e. the government, which is why the union movement is now dominated by public unions. The trade surpluses vanished for two reasons: global competition and to protect the dollar as the world's reserve currency. This is a difficult issue to grasp, so let's do it in parts: 1. When the global exporting nations recovered after World War II, their costs of labor and production were cheaper than American industry, which was hobbled by the strong dollar. For example, $1 bought 250 yen as recently as the early 1970s. Today, it barely buys 100 yen. 2. As a result, cheap imports took market share from domestic producers (believe it or not, BMWs were once relatively cheap), and the U.S. trade balance went negative, i.e. the U.S. ran trade deficits. To settle the deficits, the U.S. had to ship gold to the creditor nations. 3. As the trade deficits expanded, America's gold holdings shrank. The writing was on the wall: continued deficits would eventually shrink the U.S. gold holdings to zero, at which point deficits would be impossible to sustain. 4. As a result, President Nixon closed the gold window and the U.S. dollar floated in a market of supply and demand. The second half of the story is Triffin's Paradox, an issue I have covered in depth: What Will Benefit from Global Recession? The U.S. Dollar (October 9, 2012) Understanding the "Exorbitant Privilege" of the U.S. Dollar (November 19, 2012) Prior to 1971, the dollar was backed by gold, which acted as a supra-national anchor to the dollar's reserve status. The gold standard inhibited both massive trade deficits and money creation, so it was jettisoned. The Triffin paradox is a theory that when a national currency also serves as an international reserve currency, there could be conflicts of interest between short-term domestic and long-term international economic objectives. This dilemma was first identified by Belgian-American economist Robert Triffin in the 1960s, who pointed out that the country whose currency foreign nations wish to hold (the global reserve currency) must be willing to supply the world with an extra supply of its currency to fulfill world demand for this 'reserve' currency (foreign exchange reserves) and thus cause a trade deficit. (emphasis added) In other words, the U.S. must "export" U.S. dollars by running a trade deficit to supply the world with dollars to hold as reserves and to use to pay debt denominated in dollars. Other nations need U.S. dollars in reserve to back their own credit creation. It is impossible for the U.S. to maintain the reserve currency and run trade surpluses. It's Hobson's Choice: if you run trade surpluses, you cannot supply the global economy with the currency flows it needs for trade, reserves, payment of debt denominated in the reserve currency and credit expansion. If you don't possess the reserve currency, you can't print money and have it accepted as payment. (The euro and yen are quasi-reserve currencies based on the size of the European Union and Japanese economies, but neither acts as the primary reserve and as a result both are vulnerable to currency crises, despite the conventional wisdom that both are on the same footing as the U.S. dollar.) Unions have little bargaining power in a global economy with surplus labor and mobile capital, and trade surpluses are impossible for the nation possessing the reserve currency. Some view this as a liability, but any currency that is not the reserve currency is vulnerable to a currency/credit crisis and collapse, for currency and credit are tied at the hip through reserves. Those who disbelieve that the yuan, yen and euro are vulnerable to currency/credit crises--please check in around September 2015.
My new book The Nearly Free University and The Emerging Economy (Kindle eBook)
is available at a 20% discount ($7.95, list $9.95) this week.
The Nearly Free University and The Emerging Economy: The Revolution in Higher Education Reconnecting higher education, livelihoods and the economy With the soaring cost of higher education, has the value a college degree been turned upside down? College tuition and fees are up 1000% since 1980. Half of all recent college graduates are jobless or underemployed, revealing a deep disconnect between higher education and the job market.
It is no surprise everyone is asking: Where is the return on investment? Is the assumption that higher education returns greater prosperity no longer true? And if this is the case, how does this impact you, your children and grandchildren?
The Nearly Free University and the Emerging Economy clearly describes the underlying dynamics at work - and, more importantly, lays out a new low-cost model for higher education: how digital technology is enabling a revolution in higher education that dramatically lowers costs while expanding the opportunities for students of all ages. The Nearly Free University and the Emerging Economy provides clarity and optimism in a period of the greatest change our educational systems and society have seen, and offers everyone the tools needed to prosper in the Emerging Economy.
Read the Foreword, first section and the Table of Contents.
Kindle edition: list $9.95, for one week only, $7.95
(20% discount)
Things are falling apart--that is obvious. But why are they falling apart? The reasons are complex and global. Our economy and society have structural problems that cannot be solved by adding debt to debt. We are becoming poorer, not just from financial over-reach, but from fundamental forces that are not easy to identify. We will cover the five core reasons why things are falling apart: 1. Debt and financialization 2. Crony capitalism 3. Diminishing returns 4. Centralization 5. Technological, financial and demographic changes in our economy Complex systems weakened by diminishing returns collapse under their own weight and are replaced by systems that are simpler, faster and affordable. If we cling to the old ways, our system will disintegrate. If we want sustainable prosperity rather than collapse, we must embrace a new model that is Decentralized, Adaptive, Transparent and Accountable (DATA).
We are not powerless. Once we accept responsibility, we become powerful.
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Businesses Transition to Time of Use Rates
Starting January 2014, most businesses on a GS-1, GS-2, PA-1 or PA-2 rate will start transitioning to new Time-Of-Use (TOU) rates. TOU is part of a statewide initiative designed to keep the electric grid reliable and make sure everyone will have power when they need it. Unlike flat rates, TOU rates vary by the time of day the energy is used.
TOU helps keep the grid reliable.
TOU rates more accurately reflect the costs of energy at the time it is used. During On-Peak periods, there is the greatest demand on the grid. When customers shift energy use, if possible, to Off-Peak or Mid-Peak times, it helps reduce strain on the grid.
SCE is keeping customers informed during the transition.
SCE is making sure its customers have the information and tools they need to make this change go as smoothly as possible. Business customers transitioning to TOU in 2014 will receive a personalized rate analysis that explains their TOU rate options.
Get the tools to manage this change.
To minimize the impact these rate changes may have on businesses, SCE has a full suite of services and online tools that can help you with this transition, such as My Account to view your energy usage, or Budget Assistant, where you can set monthly spending goals to help you stay on top of your energy spending.
Get the TOU Fact Sheet.
Here are TOU Frequently Asked Questions.
Learn more about TOU rates.


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Over at Harbor Freight, they came out with 2 ICON torque wrenches in 2018. For 2019, they're promising to launch an entire new line of ICON professional hand tools and tool cabinets.
Here are some of the standout claims that Harbor Freight says customers are in store for:
Designed for the master mechanic that demands top quality.
ICON is a full line of premium hand tools, storage, and automotive specialty tools.
All ICON products feature precision craftsmanship for the professional – at an unbeatable value.
ICON storage is built to last… Invest in the best with ICON.
ICON specialty tools feature premium components designed for precision, performance, and durability.
From torque wrenches to ratchets and wrenches, ICON hand tools are built with premium quality and precision.
When you need a tool you can count on, reach for ICON.
Those are some very big claims.
A little over 15 months ago, I spoke with Harbor Freight about their Hercules pro cordless power tools, and I was optimistic. I believed that they were looking to develop cordless power tools to compete with pro tool brands. (And I still do, or at least I believe that they were aiming to compete with very specific pro cordless power tool offerings.)
I went out and bought some of the Hercules tools, intending to review them, but it fell way down on my to-do list. Where were the new Hercules tools that were supposed to be coming out? The disappointment took some wind out of my sails.
A new Harbor Freight Hercules miter saw came out in March.
There are indicators that more Hercules tools are coming out, but there aren't any new listings on Harbor Freight's website.
So, because of my emotional up and down about the Hercules tool family, I won't let myself get excited about the new ICON line of hand tools and storage.
Harbor Freight has been very strategic with their product development, and has come out with some very popular tools that many customers do feel match up with or even best competing offerings.
It will be interesting to see how their upcoming ICON tools and storage hold up to tool truck brands, and other brands that master mechanics trust to handle their tool needs, wants, and demands.
Let's assume that the new ICON tools will be exactly as advertised – premium automotive hand tool and storage offerings at value pricing. How vast will the product lineup be?
Okay, I'm going to allow myself to be a little optimistic. It would be nice to be able to drive down to a local Harbor Freight for a more premium hand tool instead of having to wait a few days for an online order. But, if I allow myself to take Harbor Freight's ICON hand tool claims at face value, I'm still left wondering – will they have the tool(s) I need, or will the ICON product family focus on the basics I already have or don't need?


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Jamestown Smithy is equipped for taking care of the fort's needs - horseshoes, barrel bands, nails, and an occasional musket ball or two. A full bellows and forge, with anvils and tools, all of which show time and weathering appropriate to the colonial life.
Includes special "scene trash" such as bits of leaves and wooden parts to give the impression of both recent and years past wooden construction, such as in a frontier or 17th century new world construction.
Jamestown was a settlement located on Jamestown Island in the Virginia Colony. Founded in 1607 by the explorer John Smith (of the legendary story of the indian princess Pocahontas), it was the first permanent English settlement in what is now the United States of America, following several earlier failed attempts, including the Lost Colony of Roanoke. It was founded by the London Company (later to become the Virginia Company), in England. Jamestown was the capital of the colony until 1699. Jamestown Volume 1 attempts to recreate elements of that early American colony in this set of eight 3D models.
anvil (2), anvil base, bag, barrel, bellows, bench, bucket, coals, fencing, frame, furnace, hammer (3), pot, prop, lean to frame, table (2), tongs (6), tool (2), trash (3).
Register your model order and get the .3DS version of this model. If you purchase on Mirye Store, you are automatically registered
The contents of this model set are based on the software package it is used with. Please check to see that you have selected the right version for you
This set is designed for professional designers and game developers that require additional rights, such as real time playback in games, simulations and more.
This set is compatible with Blender 2.7.1 and higher.
This set is compatible with Poser 6 or higher and DAZ Studio 4 and higher.
version has an organized runtime, with separate props (pp2), character based models (c) and separate OBJ versions of the building.
This set is compatible with Shade 9 or higher.
This set is compatible with Vue 6 or higher.
This set is compatible with Bryce 5.5 and higher.


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In 1899 the largest automobile producer in world, Benz & Cie, made a grand total of 572 cars. Few could afford such hand-built luxuries.
But in 1908 Henry Ford began to mass-produce the Model T using an assembly line. By distilling the complex process of constructing an automobile into a distinct set of repeatable tasks, Ford reduced the time required to assemble a car down to just 93 minutes. By the 1920s, 10,000 cars were being produced every day, each with a price tag of just $290.
Software, too, thrives on the transformation of abstract ideas into concrete, reusable components.
The last several years have seen the release of a number of design pattern libraries from Yahoo!, Peter Morville, Endeca, Martijn van Welie, and others. While design patterns are the crucial starting point, they take a significant investment of time, skill, and money to execute well. In order for our digital interactions to advance in richness and quality, the design patterns of today must become the UI components of tomorrow.
The Blueprint
Design patterns were popularized in the 1970s by architect Christopher Alexander. In his book A Pattern Language, Alexander chronicled 253 classic, tested architectural patterns ranging from the design of cities and buildings all the way down to the arrangement of rooms and even the placement of doorknobs. Alexander's patterns provided principles for other architects to follow, but gave them room to adapt the details to match their particular environments.
While originally developed for architecture, design patterns have long been adopted by UI designers as well. Design patterns are refined solutions to everyday problems communicated through a written description that usually consists of four primary sections:
- What problem does this pattern address?
- When should this pattern be used?
- Why should this pattern be used?
- How is this pattern achieved?
An excellent example of a thoughtful, concisely written design pattern is Peter Morville's definition of faceted navigation:
Faceted or "guided navigation" leverages metadata fields and values to provide users with visible options for narrowing or refining their query.
This integrated searching and browsing experience lets users begin with a simple keyword search, but then offers useful next steps and insights into the content and its organization.
Guided navigation has become almost ubiquitous in e-commerce given the availability of structured metadata and the clear business value of improving findability. This pattern is applicable in most contexts, assuming a substantial volume of valuable content.
Requires significant investment. Leading vendors include Endeca and FAST. Also supported by open source products such as Apache Solr. Human effort required for defining metadata fields and values. Tagging can be distributed and/or semi-automated.
Design patterns provide the recipe for success. They're the blueprints. But a recipe isn't the same thing as a baked cake, nor is a set of blueprints a physical building. It takes time, expertise, and materials to turn the idea into the reality.
Going from design pattern to a polished, fully functional UI is hard work. It requires an interdisciplinary team of designers and developers. It takes time to design the interaction, write the code, and test it with users. Because of this, only organizations with top talent and sizeable budgets are able to achieve truly great user experiences. But it doesn't have to be this way.
The $290 Car
The componentization of automobile manufacturing meant that every working family could own a car, not just the elite. Similarly, responsive, highly interactive interfaces need not be the monopoly of large companies such as Amazon, eBay, and Google. Components can make it possible for products and companies of any size to deliver excellent experiences.
While design patterns are a structured description of how something should work, a UI component is a reusable building block that fully encapsulates all the code necessary to put that design pattern into action. A component offers a refined, tested solution that fully addresses every nuance and is easy to incorporate into the surrounding interface. Components are the ultimate realization of design patterns.
An example of a component is the faceted navigation widget that I helped develop at TwigKit. To add facets to a page, one would need to add a single tag:
numberInExpandedView="12" />
The component allows for quick configuration (such as which facets to display), and is backed by all the HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and even server-side code needed for implementation.
Components reduce development time and provide a more reliable end result. They are cheap to get up and running, and mean that there is less custom code to maintain. While implementing a design pattern requires a large team of specialists, small teams of generalists can use off-the-shelf components. The end result is that components enable teams to deliver a better user experience than they would be able to achieve by building everything from scratch, and in much less time.
The Cycle of Innovation
In fact, we use components all the time without even thinking about it. When designing for the Web, we use browser components to add buttons and dropdown menus. Even tasks that we previously wrote code to achieve—everything from playing video to drawing rounded corners—are now handled for us much more simply by modern browsers.
The idea of reusable components is not, however, limited to UI design; it is fundamental to the very process of innovation. In order for the automobile to be devised, for example, a host of technological groundwork had to first be in place, including components as basic as the wheel and as advanced as the internal combustion engine. Only when each of these component parts had reached a state of maturity in their own right could the inventor of the automobile assemble them into something greater.
"When you go back and you look at the history of innovation," says Steven Johnson, author of Where Good Ideas Come From, "…the ultimate idea[s] come from this remixing of various different components." In other words, transforming conceptual design patterns into concrete components provides a platform on which others can build upon.
Off the Shelf, or Roll Your Own?
With all of these advantages, your team should either be using an existing component library, creating your own, or both. In deciding which route to take, you should consider your team's strengths, the scope of the project, and how much time you have available.
Existing libraries
There are now a handful of widely used component libraries available that provide widgets for common interactions such as picking a date, using a slider, and graphing data. While jQueryUI is the most well known example, Sencha's Ext JS provides an even greater range of components (and both jQuery and Sencha are working on mobile frameworks as well). There are a number of other libraries that provide specialized components, such as Vaadin for Java-based applications, Flot and Highcharts for graphing, and TwigKit for search-based interfaces. Going with a suitable existing library should result in the quickest initial delivery time, and empower small teams to punch above their weight.
Building a library of your own
While off-the-shelf libraries are good at providing commonly used widgets, your project may require a specific set of interactions not present in existing components. In this case, consider creating a reusable solution of your own. It will take an initial investment of time and attention, but if done right will mean you can reuse that same component again and again.
Components 101
Not all components are created equal. Whether you're shopping for existing components or creating your own, there are five characteristics that all good components share.
Sound interaction design
Above all else, a component must adequately address the needs of the user. It must be both useful and usable, properly support all of the desired mouse, keyboard, and/or touch interactions, and plan for accessibility.
Clean code
If the component is meant for the Web, the front-end development should reflect Web standards. It should validate and be cross-browser compatible. It also needs to be compact (so that it downloads quickly), and optimized for browser performance.
Ready to use
A component should be easy to implement with as little configuration as is practical. One line of code is ideal.
Easy to configure
While a component should work out of the box, it should also be easy to customize. The best components are versatile enough to work in a variety of situations, giving the developer ample control over the main variables. While difficult to achieve and requiring a rigorous decoupling of concerns, it is absolutely crucial.
Well documented
A component library must be thoroughly documented. At the least, the documentation must indicate how to start using a component, and describe all of the available configuration options.
Don't Reinvent the Wheel
In the end, use existing components to solve commonplace problems, and develop your own reusable code to solve problems that are specific to your area of expertise. In the words of Jared Spool, "[Component] libraries give the team speed and efficiency, letting them leverage the rich history of "things-implemented-before."


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magnetic wireless audio security headsetMADE IN USA
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Prices in USD (USA dollars): the GSM SMALLEST INDUCTIVE MINI TACTICAL SPY NANO SYSTEM product is $149 per item (single unit purchase price). Please study product description, guarantee and shipping terms before applying for an order: - refer to product technical specifications; - refer to product images; - refer to product guarantee terms; - refer to product shipping terms. Quick small quantity sales (up to 3 pcs) are available on-line. click to order via PayPal |